A fresh dusting of snow covered the ground as he stepped out of his truck into the chilly midmorning air. Though with the sun coming out, it was likely to be gone by afternoon. Just as it had vanished earlier in the week.
It still surprised him that Megan wanted to go with them. Then again, after walking in on him and Carly the other night, she might have thought they needed a chaperone.
He continued up the walk and knocked on the door.
Megan opened it a few seconds later, already wearing her coat. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself. Looks like you’re ready to go.” Movement had his gaze shifting past her to her mother.
“We sure are.” Wearing her puffy white jacket, Carly joined them.
“Okay, let’s get on down the road, then.”
They piled into his truck and pulled out of the drive.
He’d just turned onto Main Street when his phone rang through the truck’s speakers and the name Dad appeared on the dashboard’s touch screen caller ID.
He pressed the button on his steering wheel. “What’s up, Dad?”
“You still in Ouray?” His father’s deep voice boomed through the cab of the vehicle.
“Yes, sir.”
“Carly and Megan with you?”
He glanced at Carly in the passenger seat and smiled. “Yes.”
“Hi, Mr. Clint,” yelled Megan from the backseat.
The familiarity surprised Andrew. Between Grandma and church, he supposed their families had always been intertwined.
“Morning, darlin’. Tell Andrew he needs to bring you and your mama by the ranch on your way to Montrose. I got somethin’ I want to show you.”
Andrew struggled to come up with what that something might be. His father was gone when he left that morning, and they hadn’t spoken. But recalling how eager Megan was to visit the ranch...
“Okay, Dad. We’re on our way.”
“Abundant Blessings Ranch.” Megan read the sign as they pulled onto the property. “This is where you grew up?”
Unfortunately. “I did.”
She scooted to the driver’s side of the truck and pressed her hands against the glass. “Cool. You have horses.”
“Well, my brother and my dad do, anyway.”
Megan’s head poked between the two front seats. “Where’s your mom?”
The question took him by surprise. Somehow he managed to keep it together, though. “She died.”
“Oh, yeah.” She lowered her head. “I forgot.” When she looked up again, she said, “My daddy died.”
He was taken aback by her candor. Not a hint of sorrow or regret. Then again, she was young when her father passed away. Not old enough to have regrets.
“Looks like the barn could use a fresh coat of paint.” Leave it to Carly to take the subtle approach.
He glanced her way. “Or a demolition crew.”
Dad emerged from the barn as Andrew pulled his truck up to the house.
Megan was the first to open her door and hop down onto the gravel. “Hi, Mr. Clint.” She waved.
His father coughed as he approached. “Young lady, I think you’ve grown six inches since the last time I saw you.” Which most likely would have been at church.
The kid grinned, straightening to her full height. All four-foot-whatever inches of her.
Carly stepped forward to hug the old man. “How are you, Clint?”
“Not too bad.” Releasing her, he smiled, his dark gaze sparkling as it met each one of theirs. “Come with me. I’ve got something to show you.”
Andrew couldn’t help wondering what his father was up to. Whatever it was seemed to have the old man pretty stoked.
The trio followed him into the rundown barn.
The smell of hay, earth and manure filled Andrew’s nostrils as he eyed the old gray rafters overhead. The place looked a little better from the inside, but not by much. The roof was still shot.
Dad led them to one of the stalls, the wooden gate creaking when he opened it.
Megan gasped when she saw the two brand-new foals. “They’re so cute.”
“Easy, sweetie. We don’t want to scare them.” Carly kept her voice low and slipped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “But they are adorable.”
Andrew had to agree. The twins were chestnut colored, and each had a white blaze that stretched from the tops of their heads to their noses. It had been a long time since he’d seen a newborn anything.
“Where’s their mother?” asked Carly.
Andrew suspected the answer but waited for his father to respond.
The old man coughed, his expression grim. “She had a tough time with the delivery.”
Carly eyed him now, understanding lighting her baby blues. “So they’re orphans?”
Dad nodded.
Andrew stepped closer and reached a hand into the pen to pet the soft fur of the first foal. “Remember when you and I used to help feed the calves way back when?” He looked at Carly now.
“How could I forget?” She moved beside him to pet the other foal. “They were so sweet, so little.”
Megan looked perplexed. “Did you used to work here, Mommy?”
“No. But I used to hang out here a lot.”
“How come?” Megan tilted her head, looking very serious.
Pink crept into Carly’s cheeks. “I just liked being here.”
“Your mama and Andrew used to be very good friends,” said Dad.
Andrew caught his father’s smirk before the old man went into another coughing fit. The sound was eerily familiar, reminding him of that summer Dad battled pneumonia. And how protective his mother had been from then on whenever he caught something as simple as a cold.
Urging Megan to pet the foal in his stead, Andrew moved toward his father. “Have you been to see a doctor about that cough?”
“I don’t need no doctor. It’s just a little chest cold.” He leaned against the stall and changed the subject. “You know, these foals are going to require a lot of care and feedings. Unfortunately, time is one of those things I don’t have a lot of.”
“I can help, Clint,” said Carly. “Matter of fact, I’d be happy to.”
“Me, too.” Megan bounced beside her mother.
Andrew wasn’t sure how he felt about them spending time at the ranch. It reminded him too much of when he and Carly were dating. Ironically, some of his best memories were of their experiences together at the ranch.
“I thought I heard voices in here.”
They all turned to greet his older brother, Noah. After years on the rodeo circuit, he now lived at the ranch and helped his father with the cattle, though his main focus was on the horses, as well as the trail rides and riding lessons they offered in the summer. Which made Andrew wonder...
“How come you’ve got the foals in here? I’d think you’d want them down at the stable.”
“I asked him the same thing.” Noah glared at the old man.
“And I told you, I want them close to the house.” When Dad looked Andrew’s way, his eyes shimmered. “They were Chessie’s babies.”
Mama’s horse. The one Dad had given her. Now Andrew understood.
While Dad went over the details of feeding the foals with Carly and Megan, Andrew took Noah aside. “How long has he been coughing like that?”
“A couple days, I guess.”
Andrew mentally kicked himself for not paying closer attention. Just because he didn’t like being at the ranch didn’t give him an excuse to ignore his father. From now on, he’d have to keep a closer watch.
Chapter Nine
Carly breathed in the scents of the ranch as she made her way into the barn late Monday morning, armed with two feeding bottles. While some people might th
ink the barnyard smells offensive, she found them rather comforting. Until Andrew brought her and Megan here on Friday, she’d never realized how much she missed the place.
During her high school years when she and Andrew dated, there were days when she spent more time at Abundant Blessings Ranch than she did at her own house. It was here that she’d learned how to fish and milk a cow, shimmy under a barbed wire fence without getting cut. And she was thrilled that her daughter would now get a chance to experience at least some of what the ranch had to offer. Abundant blessings indeed.
Too bad Andrew didn’t feel that way about his own family home. She still didn’t understand why he thought the place so abhorrent. Did he really believe the ranch had caused his mother’s early death?
The babies were standing when she made it to their stall. One even tried to whinny, though it sounded more like a series of happy grunts.
“You guys know I’ve got food, don’t you?” She swung open the gate and stepped inside the hay-covered space.
Immediately both foals nudged her hands with their velvety noses, eager to eat.
“Hold on a second.” She positioned herself between them and lowered the bottles, one on each side of her.
Elsa and Anna—she still couldn’t believe Clint had let Megan pick the babies’ names—wasted no time latching on, behaving as though they hadn’t eaten all day. In fact, this was their sixth feeding since midnight.
Noah and Andrew had taken turns, insisting their father sleep. The man’s cough had grown increasingly disconcerting, and they’d also heard him wheezing. So, despite his father’s objections, Andrew had taken him to the doctor.
She looked from one chestnut foal to the other. “You two need to slow down or you’ll get a tummy ache.”
While the twins continued to eat, she leaned against the wooden wall and contemplated all the crazy twists and turns her life had taken recently. Inheriting Livie’s had meant she was one step closer to her dream coming true. But between Andrew’s refusal to sell and the fire at Granger House, she’d once again been forced to relegate her dream to a back burner. Even if she could talk Andrew into selling, would she still be able to afford to buy him out?
After finally making it to the one-stop home improvement center late Friday, her eyes were opened to just how much everything was going to cost. Even little things like cup pulls and knobs for the kitchen cabinets, a sink, and pendant lights for over the island were more than she’d expected. Sure, she had good insurance, but that money would only go so far.
She let go a sigh, wondering why all of this was happening now. Was she not supposed to expand the bed-and-breakfast? Did God want her to keep taking in bookkeeping?
The thought made her cringe.
About the time Elsa and Anna finished draining their bottles, she heard the sound of gravel crunching under tires outside. That, coupled with the sound of a diesel engine, told her it was Andrew and his father.
She exited the stall, pausing to make sure the old latch was securely in place. “You girls take a nap. I’ll be back later.”
When she departed the barn, both father and son were getting out of the truck.
She shielded her eyes from the sun as Andrew tossed his door closed.
“So, what’d the doctor say?” Noah hollered as he jogged from the stable, his concern evident. He must have seen them drive up.
Andrew waited until they were all at the back of the truck. “He’s got pneumonia. And he’s been sentenced to bed rest.”
“Oh.” Her gaze drifted to the older man making his way up the steps, looking none too happy.
Noah shook his head. “He’s not going to like that.”
“Sputtered about it all the way home,” said Andrew.
“Probably would have been better if they’d just put him in the hospital. I mean, what are we going to do?” Noah glanced from his brother to his father. “Hog-tie him?”
Andrew followed his brother’s gaze. “I think we might have to hire someone to look after him. Besides, he wouldn’t listen to us, anyway.”
“That’s silly.” Tucking the two empty bottles under her arm, Carly brushed a windswept hair away from her face. “Why not just let me take care of him?”
Both brothers sent her the strangest look.
“At least during the day. I’m here helping with the foals anyway. And with Granger House out of commission, it’s not like I have a whole lot to do.”
She turned her attention solely to Andrew. “Besides, I want to help. Your family has always been so good to me, this is the least I can do.”
“Are you sure you can handle him?” Noah’s dark brow lifted. “He can be pretty stubborn, you know.”
“I’m not worried.” She watched the older man shuffle into the house. “Clint and I get along fine. He’s a good man.”
The brothers looked at each other as though sharing a silent conversation before turning back to her.
“Thank you, Carly,” said Noah.
“If he gets to be too much, though,” said Andrew, “you just let us know.”
She smiled. “I will. But I doubt that’ll be necessary.” She took two steps toward the house, paused and turned back around. “Come on. I’ll fix you guys some lunch.”
After a quick meal of canned soup and roast beef sandwiches, Andrew headed back to town to work on Granger House, and Noah returned to his work in the stables. Clint settled into his recliner and willingly agreed to the breathing treatment the doctor had ordered. He fell asleep shortly thereafter, so she took the opportunity to sneak out and feed the foals.
When she returned, Clint was still sleeping, so since Andrew had offered to pick up Megan from school and bring her to the ranch, Carly pushed up her sleeves, ready to give the ranch house some much-needed TLC. The Stephens men weren’t necessarily messy, but there was something to be said for a good, thorough cleaning. Especially in the kitchen.
She cleared the off-white Formica countertops of clutter before scrubbing them down with bleach, along with the sink and stove. Next she cleaned out the refrigerator, wiped it down, then grabbed a package of chicken from the freezer. All the while, she’d periodically poke her head around the corner to check on Clint, pleased to see he was still asleep. Rest was exactly what he needed to get better.
While the meat thawed in the microwave, she searched the cupboards, trying to figure out what she could make the guys for dinner. Their pantry didn’t have a whole lot of variety. Canned soup and veggies, some tomato sauce, pasta... A casserole, perhaps.
Inspired, she put the chicken on to boil. No sooner had she set the lid atop the pot when the sound of Clint’s raspy breathing drew her into the adjoining family room. He was awake now, his forest-green recliner upright, and he was looking a bit pale.
“How are you feeling?” She knelt beside his chair, resting a hand on his forearm.
“I know my boys asked you to stay here. But there’s no need to fuss over me, young lady. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”
She bit back a laugh. While Clint Stephens might indeed be capable of taking care of himself, his wife, Mona, was the kind of woman who went above and beyond when it came to her men. Tough when she had to be, but not afraid to spoil them, either. Something Carly had always admired.
“I understand. I’m pretty good at taking care of myself, too. But everyone needs a little help now and then. If it hadn’t been for Andrew and other folks around town, I never would have made it through these last couple of weeks.” She patted his arm. “Now, what can I get you?”
He clasped his hands over his trim belly. “I reckon I could use a cup of coffee.”
She was thinking more along the lines of juice or tea.
“I like it black. And strong.” A man’s man through and through.
“Coming right up.” She pu
shed to her feet. “And just for the record, Andrew and Noah did not ask me to stay with you. I volunteered.”
The older man seemed a little more amicable after that. He turned on the television situated in the corner of the room and watched some police show while she assembled the chicken spaghetti casserole. She put the pan in the oven and washed her hands before going to check on him again.
His chair was empty.
“Clint?” Her gaze darted around the room. She checked the hall to see if perhaps he’d gone to the restroom. Then she heard sounds coming from the mudroom.
She entered to find the man wearing his coat and hat and heading out the door.
Suddenly grateful for being a little on the small side, she darted around him to block the opening. “Just where do you think you’re going?”
“I have a ranch to tend to.”
“Not under my watch, you don’t.” She held her ground. Even when he closed what little distance there was between them, to tower over her. Though she had no doubt he could push right past her if he really wanted to. She could only hope that—
“Young lady, I suggest you get out of my way.” Determined dark eyes bored into hers.
But she had no intention of letting Andrew and Noah down. One way or another, she would win this battle.
* * *
Clouds gathered over the mountains to the west as Andrew’s pickup bumped over the cattle guard at the entrance to Abundant Blessings. He couldn’t remember ever being this eager to get to the ranch. Not that it was the ranch spurring him on. Instead, he was worried about his father.
Why had it taken him so long to notice Dad’s cough? If he hadn’t been there, would Noah have picked up on it? He didn’t want to cast stones at his brother, but what if Andrew hadn’t been in town? Suppose Dad had gotten sick and Noah hadn’t realized it until it was too late?
What if his father had been at the end and Andrew didn’t get a chance to say goodbye?
Their Ranch Reunion Page 9
